In the experiment that was performed that initially split the atom, the explanation goes that you take a neutron and fire it into a heavy, unstable element like U-238 which splits into more neutrons and releases some energy etc etc etc.
We’ve all heard it.
However it seems to miss the part around how you obtain the initial neutrons. As far as I’m aware they don’t occur naturally on their own, so how did they obtain enough of them to split the atom in the experiment?
(I’m aware that for the bomb they combine too lumps of U238 to create a super critical mass, however I’m more interested in the initial experiment)
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First off neutrons definitely do occur naturally. Cosmic rays can create free neutrons and so can radioactive elements. This is actually a huge concern for nuclear weapons design because the wrong isotopes (such as Pu-240) create too many spontaneous neutrons and can start the reaction too soon. However, neutrons can be created numerous ways. Mixing certain radioactive elements can create them, so can a linear accelerator, neutron spallation device or a fusion reactions. These are all used in weapons design and testing.
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